Being A Friend

"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)

A Band of Brothers.

The image of these soldiers—a Band of Brothers—carrying their battle-wounded friend to safety, deeply stirs my heart of what it truly means to have a friend, and to be a friend.

That true friend who sticks closer than a brother is the friend who will sit by your bedside when you are in the hospital dying of cancer.  He is the friend who will one day help carry your coffin and speak at your funeral service of what your friendship meant to him.  He is the friend who fills your car up with gas when you are unemployed and flat broke.  He is the friend who risks your anger when he stops by your house to see how you're doing, when you don't feel like talking to anyone. He is the friend who has earned the right through relationship, to tell it to you like it is, and speak the truth to you in love. He is the friend who has your back when you are under attack from an unseen enemy. He is the friend who would literally take a bullet for you.

He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I have been fortunate in my life to have been blessed with a handful of true friends who truly stick closer than a brother.  They know who they are, and I have told them so.  I will be eternally grateful to God for bringing these godly men into my life.  I am a better man for having known them.

Because I have been blessed to have friends like this, I have, over the years, witnessed their actions and character and can gratefully speak of that here.

I.  A friend loves at all times. 

Even when I act like a jerk, my true friends don't take it personally and they let me vent.  Because of our relationship, they listen and hear my heart, and they don't judge me, or offer advice too quickly. When appropriate, they speak words of wisdom and encouragement to me, even admonishment at times when I need it, without hurling pat answers or religious platitudes at me. They accept me and value me as a friend.

II.  A friend is not easily offended.

A mature, humble man does not make everything about him.  If you tell him that he erred, he doesn't turn it back at you and tell you that you 'hurt his feelings.'  He accepts his personal responsibility and he apologizes.  He is not easily wounded.  He accepts admonishment with humility without getting defensive.  He possesses integrity, maturity and depth of character.

III.  A friend is not puffed up.

He is not arrogant and is not constantly trying to promote himself.  He seeks the good of others more than he seeks his own good. He esteems the needs of other people above his own.  He is slow to anger and quick to listen. He listens to you and does not talk at you, or constantly interrupt you when you are speaking.  What you have to say is important to him.

IV.  A friend keeps no record of wrongs.

He is quick to forgive and does not hold your mistakes and blunders against you.  He does not have a chip on his shoulder because six months ago you stepped on his toes without realizing it.  He doesn't give you the silent treatment until you apologize for something you've done.  If he thinks you have something against him he goes to you to reconcile the situation.  He does not hold a grudge. A friend does not keep score.

V.  A friend keeps his word.

If he tells you he will do something, he does it.  He says what he means and he means what he says. A friend does not make shallow promises and then fail to keep them.  He has integrity.  He is dependable and reliable.  He does not make lame excuses. You can always count on him.

VI.  A friend always has your back.

He prays for you when you are going through trials and deep water. He calls you to see how you are doing when it's not always convenient for him to call. If he sees someone who even smells like a threat to your wife and family, he is there to protect and to serve.  He is in the foxhole of life with you and would take a bullet for you without hesitation.  He will warn you if he sees you heading into harms way. He "has your six."

VII.  A friend spends time with you.

He doesn't think being a "Friend" simply means having you and 200 other people on his 'face-book' friends list while never actually having a conversation with you.  A friend makes time for his friend.  He invites you to grab lunch, or drive up a mountain road on a Saturday morning. A friend helps you move without being asked ten times.  He invests his time, care and love, to 'be' a friend to you. A friend is more of a giver than a taker.

A friend realizes that to have a friend you have to be a friend.  And that relationships are a two-way street.  If you don't invest yourself in the friendship, you will get nothing out of it in return.

During the Battle of the Nile in 1798, Admiral Horatio Nelson referred to the captains under his command as his "Band of Brothers." One of Nelson's earliest uses of the phrase is in a letter written shortly after the Spanish entry into the war. Nelson, eager for action, had hoped to be given command of a squadron cruising off the Spanish coast, but was passed over. Dismayed he wrote of his indignation and disappointment, but said of his men:

"Yet, if I know my own thoughts, it is not for myself, or on my own account chiefly, that I feel the sting and the disappointment. No. It is for my brave officers; for my noble-minded friends and comrades. Such a gallant set of fellows! Such a band of brothers! My heart swells at the thought of them."

A friend is in the battle for his friends more than he is for himself.

      -The friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I desire to be more of a friend like this to my friends.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Almost Home

Coming home from a long trip, it's always that last 39 miles that seem the longest.

But, we've been down this road before. We know the way. 

Almost home. 

When you're 500 miles out, you don't usually see any road signs telling how far it is to your destination.  But as you get closer, a sign appears every so often.  And the closer you get, the signs begin to show up more frequently.  Then as you get really close, the signs start to appear every couple of miles. You're almost home.

In the race of life, when you first jump off the starting blocks, you come out sprinting like a race horse.  You don't feel like anything could ever slow you down.  Even though the finish line is far off in the distance, you plan to win and get there first.  You reach for the prize.  Nothing's going to stop you. The idea that you may have to crawl across the finish line is an insult to you.

But as I continue to run this race—day after week, after month, after year, I am painfully aware that I am in fact slowing down.  Some days I get very weary.  I know I'm not alone in feeling like throwing in the towel at times when things are at their worst. But quitting is simply not an option. 

The prize is far too grand. 

So, I run the race.  And I'll keep running at whatever pace I am empowered to run.

If you feel like quitting today—throwing in the towel; don't give up.  You're not in this alone.

You've come all this way.   The end is in sight.  The finish line is just ahead.   Don't quit.  

You still have a little strength left. 

Jesus gives the following encouragement to His people in the last days:

"See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  Behold,  I am coming quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." (Rev 3:8-11)

We will finish the race together.  That was predetermined long ago, before the world was.  It's a done deal.

And whether we crawl across the finish line like a broken down retired race horse, or sprinting to the tape like a young champion, we will finish the race, together.

We have been commanded to persevere.  And with the command comes empowerment.  Power to persevere and endure.  Power that comes in, that is from outside of ourselves and is greater than we are.

Power to finish the race.

The One who opens doors that no man can shut has set an open door before us, and our destiny is to enter in through that open door.

So don't give up, you will make it.  Just don't quit... the prize is far too grand.

We're almost home.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.



The Promise Of New Life

    Image ©Mark Faulkner 2011

The problem with winter is not that it's so cold—but that it is so long.

My soul longs for that wonderful season when everything becomes alive once again—bursting with the amazing aromas and colors of spring. A time when the sky is never more blue. And the clouds never so bold and dazzling white.  That wonderful time when you can leave your windows open at night and drift away into slumber on the soft breezes of April blossoms and May showers. A time when there are more shades of green being unveiled than you knew even existed.

A time of hope and renewal—and once again... the promise of new life.

In your marriage, your heart and your life are you suffering through the long, dark, cold days of winter? 

Please, fellow sojourner, try to hold on for just a little while longer; for there is hope—Spring is coming. 

A line from one of my favorite movies goes like this:

"There were two farmers.  Both desperately prayed for rain.  But only one farmer prepared his field to receive it.  Which farmer are you?"

How do you prepare your field to receive the rains of spring?

First, you have to break up the fallow ground—the hard packed soil that cannot receive seed in it's present state.  Seed cannot be planted and take root in soil that is not broken up.

Next, you have to plant the seed.  You feed it with nutrients, being on guard for parasites and pests that will snatch up and destroy what you have planted.

Then you wait.

And wait.

You cannot make it rain—all you can do is pray for rain.

"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain." (James 5:7)

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the snows and dormancy of winter are part of the cycle of life.  Snow falls in the mountains, melting at the first hint of spring, tiny rivulets of water flow down to form creeks, which flow into mighty rivers; ultimately joining together to arrive at the Pacific Ocean.  As the season of winter approaches, storms form in the ocean and rise above the Cascades, which blanket the mountains with fresh snow, and thus begins the cycle of life once again.

Nearly three thousand years ago the Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote: 

“For as the rain comes down,

And the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

(Isaiah 55: 10-11)

Here is an encouraging passage of scripture that personally has become very meaningful to my wife and I:

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

We cannot see the Life-giving seeds that God has planted in the broken soil of men's and women's hearts.  We can only prepare our own field, and we pray to the Rain Maker for His rain. 

And then we wait. 

Winter is almost over.  The night is far spent.  And though our sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning.

Spring is coming!

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.



Are You Weary?

Are you tired of constantly striving to try and make your life work?

If you answered "yes" to that question, take heart weary traveler; there is hope.

Why does it so often seem like life just doesn't work out as we had hoped?  Many of us were taught when we became followers of Christ that if you just try your best to follow the principles in the Bible, that God will bless you with a good life, right?

But, if we are truly honest about it, we will admit that often times, things go south, even though we did "our best" to try and faithfully obey what we were taught.

In church you may have heard something like this, "Just stand under the spout where the blessings come out."

That may sound great in a sermon.

However, the reality is, sometimes, even though we've prayed, cried and tried, the marriage doesn't always work out.  The cancer isn't always healed.  The house or car still gets repossessed.  The job we had hoped for doesn't always materialize. The prodigal child for whom we've travailed in prayer for the last decade is still rebellious and unsaved.

"Why God?" we cry out.

"What happened?" we lament. 

"What am I doing wrong?" 

Sometimes, we as Christians try to claim promises that God never made to us.  Other times, we expect God to do everything we ask of Him simply because, "we have faith that He will do it."

But often times, He chooses to do something quite different than what we expect or demand.

The fact is—He is God, and He can do whatever He wants. This is His earth, His universe, His creation. All things were made by Him and for Him, including us.  And God is all-knowing.  He alone knows the future, and He will bring to pass His perfect will, not our imperfect will.

Sadly, many Christians today treat God as little more than a convenient mall Santa Claus.  We stand in line to rattle off our long list of demands, and then say, "See Ya next Christmas when it's time to bring me more presents!"

I think the following statement says it very well: 

"God is not a vending machine. We don't insert the proper change and then reach into the tray to claim whatever sweet blessing we want."

How often do we treat God that way?  Treating Him as if He were obligated to bless us, because we did "our best" to follow the rules?

God is not indebted to us. Rather, we, who have been saved by grace through the divine gift of faith, owe everything to Him.

If you are weary today of running on the hamster wheel of performance—trying to obey the rules in the Bible so that God will in turn bless you for it;  jump off that merry-go-round.  It will only lead you to more frustration, disappointment and defeat.

Jesus came to bring a New and Living Way for us to live.  

He is the Way.

The old code of Law that we were under before we were saved in Christ brought only slavery and an eternal death sentence. We were slaves to a code of perfection that we could never perfectly obey. No one can.  That's why Jesus Christ came to offer salvation freely to the world—to all those who will choose to believe on Him and receive Him as Savior.

Here is our deliverance from that unattainable code of perfection—the freedom that we as Christians have now been given in Christ:

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the Law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."  (Hebrews 7:18-19)

The "better hope" spoken of here is Jesus Christ and the direct access we have to intimacy with God Himself, through Christ.  A New and Living Way.

Jesus said to the religious 'rule keeping' pharisees of His day:

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5:39-40)

The entire Bible points to and reveals Jesus Christ.  So often though, we as Christians seek the blessings more than we seek the Blesser.  We seek the gifts while forsaking the Giver.  We don't come to Jesus that we may have life, but we come to Him looking for the things of this life. 

Is it any wonder so many of us are weary, disillusioned, and disappointed?

The old (wrong) way of thinking was, "If I just do enough good things, then God has to reward my goodness and obedience with His blessings."  

But Jesus said:  "There are none who are righteous; no, not one."

Our salvation was a free gift by God's grace.  We couldn't earn it by trying to be good, and we can't keep it by trying to be good. 

The same applies to God's blessings.   They are blessings from Him to us, as He chooses to give them, or withold them.  We cant earn or demand them on a system of merit.  That is returning to the old system of law which requires that we obey the whole code of law perfectly. In that old system, if we break just one requirement of the law, we were guilty before God of breaking the entire law.

But we tend to think that if we can obey the rules "most of the time" that, surely God is obligated to reward us with His blessings, because we "did our best."

God's blessings are not some kind of magic "formula" that we can 'name and claim.'

That's not how it works.

What God desires from us is our love and devotion.  He wants a relationship with us.  That's why Jesus came, to restore man's relationship with God. If we try to relate with God on a merit system of 'our performance obligates reward' we will be left feeling empty, disillusioned and weary.

If you are working to obtain a better marriage for instance, by merely "trying your best" to obey the marriage rules and methods in the Bible, your marriage is probably not going to be very successful.  Oh, things may go well for awhile.  But eventually, you will grow apart from your relationship with your spouse because you have grown apart from your relationship with God because you were not seeking Him first.

There is a simple triangle diagram illustrating "husband" on one of the bottom corners, and "wife" on the opposite bottom corner.  "God" is rightfully at the top of the peak.  At the bottom, husband and wife are far apart, but the closer they grow upward to God, the closer they will grow to each other. This is exactly why my wife and I are still married today, and are happier and more in love than we have ever been.

Even though marriage will never be perfect, what people perceive as the "perfect marriage" is only obtainable when both the husband and the wife choose to pursue intimacy with God first and foremost, and not pursue intimacy with each other as their primary goal.  Yes, God desires a husband and wife to experience true intimacy, in all its applications.  But He desires true intimacy with us as His children first. 

True intimacy in marriage is the fruit of having a right relationship with God.  A truly blessed marriage flows out of a husband and wife's intimacy with God.  Not by a man and a woman trying their best to obey and follow the right 'methods' for a successful marriage.

Yes, absolutely, as Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 5, "A husband must love his wife as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for her."  And yes, absolutely, "And the wife must respect her husband."

But if we look at these commands from the Lord primarily as our dutiful obligation and as required rules for a successful marriage, we have missed the heart of God. If we choose to love God by embracing these commands as a joyous "get to" as opposed to a dutiful "got to," we can then begin to walk according to Love, and not Law.

It's about loving because of Relationship—not Rules.

The problems we experience in our marriages, or in our lives in general, are merely symptoms.  The root of our problems declare the condition of our relationship (or our lack of relationship) with God.

So, if you are weary today—tired of constantly striving to try and make your life work, then respond to the loving voice of Jesus—our Great Shepherd—and come to Him today...

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Surrender all your working and striving of trying to earn His blessings by keeping all the rules to Jesus, and just seek intimacy with Him because you love Him.  Not because you want something from Him. The greatest blessing we can ever receive is the gift of relationship with Jesus. Only intimacy with Him can satisfy us and fill up all the longings and empty spaces in our hearts.

Jesus stands at the door of your heart and He gently knocks. He asks that you open the door of your heart from the inside. When you open your heart to Him, He will come in and He will dine with you, and you with Him.

Rest in His love.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Home-Land Security

Who can forget that fateful day..."9/11"

The Twin Towers fell and over 3,000 precious souls perished at the hands of a previously unseen evil—an enemy that had lurked within our midst for months...while we were asleep at the wheel.

It is interesting that the average American citizen, and most of the government, were completely unaware of the presence of this enemy right here in America...until it was too late and the twin towers fell.

Following the tragedy of 9/11, the "Department of Homeland Security" was formed, so that this will hopefully never happen again here in America.  Now, it would seem, most people are finally aware, or should at least be somewhat aware of who our enemy is.

On 9/11 the world was forever changed. 

Most of us now understand the times we are living in.  Hopefully, after the wake up call of 9/11, many now understand what we ought to do.

Spiritually, for followers of Jesus Christ—particularly Christian husbands and fathers; do we understand the times we are living in?   Do we know who our enemy truly is?  And do we know what we ought to do?

As Christian husbands and fathers, in our own home we are essentially the director of home-land security. 

And as the director of home-land security in our home, it is our responsibility and calling to protect and to serve.  And to do so, we must know who our enemy is.  We must understand the times which we are living in.  And we must know what we ought to do.

Christian husband and father...do you know?

Over 1,900 years ago the apostle Paul wrote:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Paul truly understood who our enemy is--a demonic enemy.  And more importantly, Paul understood Who the source of his strength is:  "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

Far too many Christian men today are completely unaware of who their enemy is.  They do not understand the times they are living in, and thus, they do not know what they ought to do. They are asleep at their post.

When mighty men of valor assembled for war as David became king, tens of thousands of men from among the tribes of Israel were present. But a very small group--a mere 200 men from the sons of Issachar, stood out from among the rest.

"And of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command." (1 Chronicles 12:32) 

These 200 men of the sons of Issachar were leaders and commanders over the tens of thousands of soldiers in the army of Israel because they understood the times they were living in, and they knew what Israel ought to do to survive and be victorious.

In essence, they were the directors of home-land security among their people and families. They understood the times, and they knew who their enemy was. They understood the strategy of the enemy and they knew how to defeat the enemy.

Above all—they knew that their strength came from God.

Paul goes on to give us specific instruction on being victorious in this spiritual battle of the ages:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Fellow Christian; we know who our enemy is.

And we know that he never sleeps. He is on the prowl, seeking whom he may devour 24/7.  The Word says Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy.  So why then do we so often act like we don't really believe that he in fact does come to steal, kill and destroy?

It is high time we awaken out of sleep, and start acting like we are the directors of home-land security in our own homes and families. 

Brothers--be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand our enemy in this evil day.

And then, having done all, to stand.

Nehemiah gave this encouraging command to all the men who came together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem:

"And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work."

Gentlemen... this is life or death.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.


—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

All Who Are Thirsty

  

Are you at the end of your rope?

If your life, or your marriage, is dried up like a parched desert, there is a way...a source... of life-giving, times of refreshing—if you are willing to come to the water and drink.

I was singing this song on Sunday morning when I was feeling pretty dry:

All who are thirsty

All who are weak

Come to the fountain

Dip your heart in the stream of life

Let the pain and the sorrow

Be washed away

In the waves of His mercy

As deep cries out to deep

Come Lord Jesus, come...

Do you remember those old movies where they show a lost man crawling through the Sahara desert, and he is dying of thirst, but then he sees this beautiful oasis in the distance—with beautiful shady palm trees and a spring of water?

And then, desperately the man crawls toward toward the oasis...only to find that it was just a mirage...an illusion, and the 'oasis' turns out to be just more hot, dry sand.

How many times in our life do we crawl toward such an oasis? Only to find that it is a mirage...an illusion that doesn't really satisfy us or quench our thirst at all.

I know a lot of people who are going through intense times of dryness in their lives and marriages right now.  And yet, even though so many know the source of life...of times of refreshing... they will not come to the water and drink.

If you feel like that dying man today, crawling through a Sahara desert in your life, or in your marriage, the only way that you can quench your thirst, is to come to the Source of Living Water, and drink of the life that He offers.

But no one can do it for you. 

You have to choose to push everything else aside, and go...run...to the Source of life, joy and peace.

Jesus said:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."  (John 7:37)

We tend to look to things or, to other people, as our source of life or happiness.  But in doing so, we put those people on a pedestal that they cannot begin to stand on.  We force our unrealistic expectations onto other people who are weak and imperfect just like us, and they can never fill the broken and empty places in our hearts, that only Jesus can fill.

In fact, when we place our ultimate need for happiness and fulfillment onto another imperfect person, we force them into a mold that they were never meant to fill... nor can they ever fill.

And the result will often be that we will eventually drive away the very person that we just wanted to love us.

If you are at the end of your rope today,  run to Jesus and hold on tightly to Him.  Only He can give you the life that you so desperately want and need.

Go to the source—come to Jesus.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

The Way To Her Heart...

 

This may seem like a bit of a break away from what I have been doing so far on this website. 

Well... not really.  

I'll explain.

Do you know what your spouse's love language is?  If you don't know what that means, please see http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ 

One of my wife's love languages is acts of service—and, more specifically, when I surprise her with a nice dinner.  Last night she said, "I am SO glad that you know how to cook!"

I discovered many years ago that one of the ways to my wife's heart is through her tummy and taste buds. 

Making a fast, healthy and delicious dinner need not be difficult or expensive.  The recipe I am sharing was done as a spontaneous experiment really.  At our house we call it "Pantry Perfection."  That is, out of necessity, you make a meal using whatever you have on hand in the pantry, or fridge.  In this case, I had some chicken breasts, a bottle of balsamic vinegar salad dressing, and some spinach salad leaves.

This recipe can be enhanced if you marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours, but I didn't have much time, and the entire meal took only 45 minutes to prepare. It's simple, inexpensive, healthy and delicious! 

This dish is so easy to make, a newlywed husband (or bachelor *hint, hint*) can make it.

Mark's Roasted Balsamic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce

2 cups Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing

1/2 cup red wine (I prefer Merlot)

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup red onion, finely minced

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/4 teaspoon season all

*1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour into a large ziplock bag or Tupperware container along with the chicken breasts. Coat well.

Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to 12 hours. However, if you are in a hurry, marinate for 15 minutes and then bake.

Pour this mixture into an oven-safe baking dish and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes in a 375 degree pre-heated oven.  *Don't overcook!  Leave uncovered for the first 10 minutes, then loosely cover with aluminum foil.

Garnish with fresh parsley if you like, and serve warm with a spinach salad and your favorite vinaigrette dressing.  This is great if you slice the chicken and spoon some of the extra sauce over it.

If you're not on a diet, this dish goes very well with rice, pasta or oven roasted red potatoes.

Serves up to 4 people.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It just so happens that I started a 90 day fitness challenge with my daughter and a good friend last night, so I wanted to kick it off with a healthy and delicious 'lean and green' meal.  Honestly, I didn't miss the rice, potatoes or pasta at all.

What this all boils down to (pun intended) is, what most blesses your spouse's heart? 

Again, for my wife, being surprised with a yummy dinner is high on her Love Languages list.  This is an act of service...an act of love. 

Unconditional love.

Get to know what your spouse's love languages are, and then bless their socks off!

As Jesus said,

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." 

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.